Shipping container



Feb. 9, 1937, F.. K. FILDES ET AL 69,

SHIPPING QONTAINER Filed May-6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 9, 1937. 1 F..K. FILDES ET AL 2,059,739

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed ma 6, 1936 5 sheets-shes; 5

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WORNEYS.

Feb. 9, 1937. FlLDES ET AL 2,069,739

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed May 6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' FIG If 6 2 "IT-E ZIIIIIIIII WI TNESSES:

Feb. 9, 1 937.

F. K. FILDES ET AL SHIPPING CONTAINER File d May e, 1956- 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 INVENTORS:

W1 TNESSES:

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Patented Feb.- 9, 1937 UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE 1 2.069.139 smrrma commas mm. x. Fildes, Altoona, and Lewis M. Showers, Jr., Juniata, Pa, assignors to The Pennsyl Railroad Company, Philadelphia,

vania Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl Application May 6, 1936, Serial No. 13,078

3 Claims. (CL 221-144) Our invention relates to shipping containers generally and more specifically to shipping containers having bottom discharge valves.

The opening and controlling of a bottom dis-.

5 charge from a container is attended with considerable difficulty when the container is fully loaded or even partially loaded. The weight of the contents makes the operation of a bottom closure valve diflicult. Difliculty has been experienced in controlling a bottom discharge from shipping containers both as to rate of flow and as to amount discharged. When the discharge opening is finally opened against the weight of the load, the contents are apt to force the valve further open or be discharged completely before any control can be established over the flow.

Therefore the main object of our invention control over the rate of fiow and amount to discharged through a bottom closure valve of a shipping container. Another object is improvement in the weatherproofing of the container and the avoidance of leakage, particularly of fine materials, from the container.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of our invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. I is a front view of a container having a bottom closure valve according to our invention.

Fig. II is a side view of same. Fig. D1 is a section taken about the lines lII- III of Fig. II. N

Fig. IV is a section taken about the lines IV IV of Fig. III.

Fig. Visa section taken about the lines V-V of Fig. I. 1

Fig. VI is a section taken, about the lines VI VI of Fig. III.

Fig. VII shows the subject matter of Fig. VI

40 with the bottom closure valve open.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view of the bottom member of the container. b Fig. IX is a perspective view of a valve memer. For the purposes of a detail description the container shown in the drawings may be separated into three main parts: a container body, a bottom closure valve, and a top closure door, to be taken up in this order.

fl'hecontainer body is of a usual construction with side and top sheets I joined by frame members 2, with corner lifting hooks 3, all riveted together as shown. Riveted inside the lower part of the container body is a bottom member 4 separated into two discharge sections by a V-shaped partition -5. This bottom member 4 which is. formed in one piece, has side walls 6 and end walls I which slope inwardly toward the bottom discharge opening 8 of each of the sections formed by the partition 5. The partition] also 5 slopes toward the openings 8 an each side.

The bottom closure valve for each discharge "opening 8 comprises valve members *II and I2,

having integral supporting arms-I3 at each end and strengthening ribs l5 underneath. These 10 supporting arms l3 each have a bearing l3 formed in their upper ends by means'of which they are pivotally attached to brackets I! by .pins l8. The brackets H at the ends of the'container are fastened to the bottom member 4 by 1;, means of angle-irons 23 at the ends of the bottom member '4. At the middle of the bottom member 4 the bracket I1 is fastened to a part l8 of the V-shaped partition 5. At the ends of each valve member ii and I2 a' wall section 20 is m formed to cooperate with the vertical ends of the bottom openings 8 in perfecting the closure of the valve. The discharge edges 2| and 22 of'the valve members II and I2 respectively are rounded and beveled as shown with the edges 2| extending under the edges 22 when'the valve is closed. A gasket 25 is fastened to the rib ii to receive the edge 2|, making a leak-proof and) weatherproof joint. The outside edges 28 of the valve members It and I2 are inclined upwardly as shown in order to come into contact with gaskets 21 fastened to the outside of openings 8 which are strengthened by angle-irons 28 as shown. Thus a water-proof and weather-tight joint is provided about the closure valve'when in the closed position. It is to be noted that the bottom member 4 is formed with substantially vertical surfaces outside the openings 8 in order to cooperate with the valve members II and i2 in making a leak-proof closure.

The operation of the closure valve is accomplished by a toggle means which is attached at each end of the valve members and which comprises operating arms 30 pivotally attached to bearings 3| of arms l3, an operating link 32 piv- 45 otally attached to the arms 30, an operating rod 33 to which each link 32 is attached by aslip fit and a weight 4l mounted on each operating link 32; to facilitateoperation and maintain theopen or closed position of the valve. A removable o I clear from the above description but a'iew additional comments may be of value. The operator rotates operating links 12 by rotating operating rod 33 with the lever 34 and thus opens and closes the valve. The weights 4| acting under the force of gravity urge the valve members .II and I2 to the closed position until well open and then they urge the valve members I I and II to the open position. Thus either the open or closed position 01' the valve is preserved. In opening the valve, the weights ll prevent a sudden'opening from internalpressure and aid considerably in controlling the rate oi flow and in sharply cutting oil! the flow at the proper moment. Thus our invention provides control of the flow from the bottom discharge of afcontainer and at the same time insures a ireedom from leakage when the valve is closed. The structure is simple and economical and may easily be adapted to'many 'standard types of containers.

. While we have described an embodiment of our invention in some de above, it will be obvious to one skilled in the that numerous changes andvariations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a shipping container, a bottom discharge valve comprising a discharge opening in said container, a pair 0! valve members pivotally attached to said container for closing said opening, said valve members having discharge edges which overlap each other in the closed position, a flange attached tothe underside of the upper of said overlapping valve members and set back from the discharge edge thereof, a gasket positioned against said flange and inseti'rom the dis-' charge edged the upper oi' said valve members to receive the discharge edge of the lower of said valve members, whereby said gasket is protected from the flow of contents from saidvalve.

2. The invention of claim 1 characterised y the i'urther tact that the outside edges of said valve membersare inclined upwardly to contact gaskets positioned outside oi said opening, said gaskets being protected mm the contents 01 said container. v

3. The invention of claim 1 characterized further by the fact that the operation of said valve is subject to the control of a gravity influenced mechanism which facilitates the manual operation or .said valve.

FREDERICK K. FILDES.

LEWIS M. SHOWERS, JI. 

